»»Free Wi-Fi at U.S. Airports Still Hard To Come
Even though some airports in the U.S. are offering free Wi-Fi service many analysts predicts most airports will retain paid service.
Twelve of the top 20 airports that handle nearly 60% of all domestic boardings charge for wireless Internet, USA Today reports.
Large airports that offer it for free include Denver, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando. Boston Logan and Seattle launched their free service earlier this year. Houston Bush Intercontinental offers free Wi-Fi, but only for 45 minutes. [...] Houston is trying a tiered model, in which travelers can use the network free for 45 minutes after viewing a 30-second commercial or pay to skip ads and have more time.
Philadelphia waives its $7.95-a-day charge on weekends, and college students can access it for free every day.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky’s free wireless Internet at Terminals 2 and 3 is provided by Project Lily Pad.
The newspaper quoted Dave Hagan, CEO of Wi-Fi network operator Boingo Wireless as saying “You’ll definitely get more usage in a (free) model”.
He cited as an example Denver International — the largest U.S. airport to offer free Wi-Fi — where the heavy traffic has drawn complaints from travelers about their user experience there. Dave Hagan, who predicts most airports will retain paid service, says that travelers’ payments will help airports keep up with demand for greater Wi-Fi network capacity. (source)
